Scene #756: Kitties and dogbunnies and robots (oh my!)

Owner	Pose
Quote	Curly Brace relaxes her cheeriness as the heroes leave her home, looking a bit downcast. She was defeated so easily! Part of her knows she's a killer robot and all that, but these three fighters put her down way too easily. She can't protect the Mimiga, not by staying here at least... but can she help them in any other way? She goes around, checking on the Mimiga children, trying to make sure they're well and comfortable. This seems to involve dragging them about into a small pile of fuzzy bodies and limbs, which should be familiar to anyone who's seen puppies. Only, you know, bigger. At least, should any of them wake unexpectedly, they'll immediately feel the comfort of family. She's a bit surprised when Chika returns. And even moreso when she doesn't follow Quote and Ainsley back out again. "Forget? No, I haven't forgotten anything! Well, not lately. The memory loss was a long time ago!" she claims brightly.
Chika	Chika bobs her head up and down. Is there anything she does without cheer and energy? At a glance, she's a merry thing, not one to be bothered by the aftermath of something like a fight, though a closer inspection suggests she might be more shrewd than she lets on. There is a definite caution in the way she enters the domicile, and the sparkle in her eyes isn't all friendly; it's sharp, too, like she doesn't miss a beat. Considering where she comes from and what she does, having such traits must be important. "Would you like some help cleaning up? I'm afraid our misunderstanding caused a mess, as you can see." She waves a paw at the bullets, shells, and holes. "I can help you clean! And, maybe you can tell me more about you, and what's happening here? Maybe starting with a reminder of your name? I think I overheard it, but -- but it's unique, so I'd like to be sure."
Quote	Cheer and energy, yes. Curly has those in abundance, and it's not just her robotic nature that causes it. She really could be Quote's fair-haired sibling. Not that they look identical, but they appear to have been designed to the same aesthetic. Lean, strong, pleasant. Not at all like the blocky robots one might see strewn elsewhere throughout the caves as wreckage, and nowhere near Balrog either. Despite that, they're quite different in personality. The robot beams at Chika. "That's very kind of you!" she remarks energetically, nodding. "Oh yes, I'm Curly Brace. I'm not sure just what I can tell you about this place. I don't have any memories from when I woke up here a while ago... but if you want to know about Mimiga then I guess I know as much as anybody!" she grins.
Chika	Getting to work always leaves Chika feeling good -- or maybe that's the potion? She still can't quite figure out what it's done. The cat-like creature sets down her bag and her wooden sword, and even takes off her soft leather hat. From her bag, she pulls out a pink apron trimmed in frilly white lace and stamped in the middle with the same three-toed pawprint marking her tummy. She ties on the apron, and takes a decisive look around the room. There's a lot to pick up; better start with the big stuff. She starts righting furniture as quietly as she can, tiptoeing around all mindful of the pups. "When did you wake up, anyway? How long ago was it? Was this place familiar to you at all, even in an...an instinctive way?" Chika's got no clue about robots, but she can tell there's something unique about Curly. Why, her skin almost looks like it's made from thin sheets of armor!
Quote	"You know, I'm not really sure how long it's been." claims Curly Brace, making her own efforts to clean. The bullet holes will have to wait, she supposes. There's something she can use to patch them, but there's other priorities first. And as she turns her back, it becomes clear... she's still armed. That machine gun, so small and yet so powerful, remains slung by an over-shoulder strap. Not as convenient as Quote's varied holsters and armaments, but still the instincts (as it were) of a creature built for battle. Indeed Curly looks... well, not QUITE metallic. She looks softer than metal certainly, more flexible, but that's an illusion of craft. There's plenty of evidence of her true nature, for those who know enough of robots to spot it. "I didn't remember anything about this place when I woke up. I didn't even remember my own name, except it was inscribed on my belt. It seemed like a good name, so I'm Curly Brace." she grins. "I've been here long enough to see these children grow from, oh, about half their current height. But there's not really a good way to tell time here, so one day's as good as the next?"
Chika	"I see. Haven't you ever thought about leaving? It doesn't seem very safe for children here, what with all those crawly things around. Beetles, hm? Smaller than I've seen, but pretty similar in conformation, I suppose. Mrr. So, haven't you?" Chika cocks her head to the side, and one of her ears flops downward, giving her a quizzical appearance. "Oh, but I suppose you wouldn't know /where/ to go. Were the children here whenever you woke up?" She glances over at the pile of soft breathing and warm fur and twitchy toes, and her ear goes back upright. "They remind me of the kittens back home."
Quote	"Oh, the beetles?" Curly asks, her mouth making an entirely uncalled-for O. "They're really pretty harmless. Other parts of the zone are a lot more dangerous, and other areas are even worse, I hear." she claims. "Just jump past them, they're nothing to worry about. We're safe here, and it's home besides!" she claims. Home... that's a weird sort of feeling, but Curly Brace doesn't really consider the thought of moving elsewhere. Not seriously, at least. "Why, the old lady who lives deeper in the sand zone, she has dogs, and they run all over the place here. Not a care. I think one's napping in the other room right now, actually." she notes. "Though I'm curious. What are kittens?" Curly asks. If they remind her guest of Mimiga, she has no real image to compare to... except that of other Mimiga.
Chika	Chika's eyes squint up into brightly blue gleams as she smiles in the way only a cat can. "Kittens are like me, but younger and smaller, and shorter, too. Felyne children -- you see? Like these, but more...like Felynes. I'm sorry I put them to sleep for so long, by the by. You see, those bombs I carry are meant for monsters, not little Mimigas. I guess I thought it would be safer to put them out than to risk catching them in the crossfire...oh, I hope they wake up soon." "Who's the old lady, the one the others ran off to investigate? Is she a dangerous person, or a friend of yours?"
Quote	"Jenka? Oh, I'm not sure she's a friend, but she's a neighbor. And ... well, she's nice. Just a bit grumpy." Curly claims. That's not to say she's not dangerous, but at least she's not a Mimiga hater. "Hm, kittens sound really cute! So, like Mimiga children then, only ..." she gestures at Chika, picturing a small furry Felyne. She looks over at the children. Asleep and piled as they are, it looks like they were merely exhausted. "They'll be fine. And I'd rather they were asleep than electrocuted. I mean, what happened to me... well, I'm a bit tougher than them! That's why I'm their defender!" she claims. "Though I suppose I'll have to repair a bit. I'll have to thank your friend. That scrap he gave me ought to be really helpful!"
Chika	"Y'know, we were all strangers before today? Those people found me surrounded by beetles I thought were dangerous. It was nice of them to let me tag along, and to provide that nice mystery potion. I'll have to learn more about them, too, I suppose. I've never been to caves like this before, and from what Ysabel says, the world as I know it has gotten much, much bigger. Between those gates, and my tendency to wander -- mrrr. Now I'm rambling on." Chika continues tidying up whatever she can, sweeping here, picking up fragments there. "There. That should do it." She dusts off her paws on the front of her apron, then treads lightly back to her bag. The apron is folded up with great care before it's put away again. "These Mimiga children are lucky to have you, Miss Curly Brace. Would you mind me visiting again soon? I think it'd be good for me to keep in touch! You never know when you might need a Felyne's touch to brighten your home!" Chika glances out the window. "Do you think the others will come back this way?"
Chika	"Why are they out here, anyway? Do you know anything about what's happening in the area? Do you know Quote at all?"
Quote	Curly manages to look a little sheepish. "I don't know anything about them." she admits. "I thought they were here to kill Mimigas, remember?" she adds, showing obvious remorse for her mistake. "I'm glad I was wrong though." she says. "I didn't meet everyone there, but I saw them at least. I suppose they'll come back this way eventually, right? And ..." For a moment Curly Brace pauses, considering. Does she know Quote? She recognizes enough to have some idea who Chika must mean. "The other robot, right? Like me?" she asks. "I suppose I must have known him once. Ten years ago, from what I've been told. When we would have been sent here." she says, again with remorse. Sent, presumably as a Mimiga killer. She's glad he turned out to be a good person. Or at least a good robot. Not a Mimiga killer. If he wasn't a killer, there's always the slim hope she wasn't either.
Chika	"Ro-bot..." That's one to remember. Chika almost wishes she had her quill and scroll available. She gives a thoughtful little chirrup of a meow, and then bends over to scoop up and tug on her leather hat. Tucking her ears into their designated spots takes some dexterity. "No, I don't think you have anything to fear from the people I met. Staren and Ainsley seem serious, but also like they've got good intentions. And, clearly they've got interest in harming any Mimiga. From what I heard, they're here to help Quote, not to harm anybody." "Do you know the Doctor? He's putting the Mimigas in harm's way. Quote's got it in his head to save the Mimigas. I think that's why they were looking for those red flowers, hrrrm? To stop the Doctor. Who /is/ the Doctor?"
Quote	"No one I know." Curly says. Doctor? This is all completely new to her. "But if he's going to hurt the Mimigas, I'm going to SHOOT him. And I'll keep ON shooting him until he STOPS!" she cheerily declares, hefting her machinegun. Fortunately not in a way that actually threatens poor Chika. "Ooooh, I hope they manage to stop him. But if they don't, I'll have to do something myself!" she declares.
Chika	"A tough gal like you would be a big help in a fight, that's for sure! Say, if your Mimigas were taken someplace safe and looked after, I bet that'd take a load off and let you become involved. Even if your memory's been erased, you're still from around these parts, and likely to offer some good advice to outsiders like me who need it! What do you say -- if my new 'friends' need you, would you be willing to join them in stopping this Doctor fellow?" Chika knows how to advantage of a good resource when it's presented. She's not about to pass this one by -- though it is a bit of an imposition to ask.
Quote	Curly hesitates, but there's really nothing to consider. If the Mimigas are safe, of course she'd be willing to help! She nods. "I'll help them!" she promises. "If the children are safe of course. And if they want me, after I ... well, after I attacked them..." she adds sheepishly.
Chika	"You attacked 'em? Oh, it seems like it must have been a misunderstanding, too, since you're so interested in providing protection, these days. Even if they don't like you much /now/ -- well, I'm sure there's no better way of getting in their good favor. A helping paw is always welcome, right? Why, I could walk into any strange village and present my license from the Hunter's Guild, and even the most suspicious and insular people will give me a chance to prove myself." Chika scoops up her bag, and slings it over her shoulder. She doesn't seem to be too worried about the past, only the possibilities of the future. "I'll be on my way now, but I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."